[Senate  Bill,  No.  15S.] 

SENATE,  December  14,  1S63. — Read  first  and  second  times,  and 
two  hundred  copies  ordered  to  be  printed. 

[By  Ml".  SpARKon-,  from  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs] 


A.    BTJLL 

To  be  entitled  An  Act  to  organize  forces  to  serve  during  the  war. 

1  Six-TtoN  1.    The  Qmgress  of  the  Coi^fedcraie  States  of  America  do 

2  enact.  That  from  and  after  the  passage  of  this  act,  all  white  men 

3  residents  of  the  Confederate  States,  between  the  ages  of  sixteen 
I  and  fifty-five,  shall  be  in  the  military  service  of  the  Confederate 

4  States  for  the  war. 

1  Sr.c.  3.  That  all  between  the  aares  of  sixteen  and  eighteen,  and 

2  between  the  a^^cs  of  forty-five  and  fifty  five  shall  belong  to  the 

3  reserve,  and  be  organized  as  hereinafter  provided,  and  that  all 

4  those  between  the  ages  of  eightc.u  and  forty-five  shall  belong  to 

5  the  army  in  the  field. 

1  Sf.c.  3.  That  all  those  who  shall  hereafter  arrive  at  the  age  of 

2  sixteen  years,  shall  belong  to,  and  be  enrolled  in  the  reserve,  and 

3  those  who  may  hereafter  arrive  at  the   age  of  eighteen    shall  be 

4  transferred  fron)  the  reserve  to  the  army  in  the  field. 

1         Skc.  i.  That  the  reserve  corps  shall  be  used  for  local  defence, 


2  for  post  and  garrison  duty,  and  shall  not  be  ordered  beyond  the 

3  limits  of  their  own  States,  except  in  cases  of  great  emergency,  in 

4  the  opinion  of  the  Commanding  General,  and  then  not  for  a  longer 

5  period  than  thirty  days.     And  that  all   details  for  provost  and 

6  hospital  guards,  for  commissary  and  (quartermaster's  agents,  for 

7  service  in  enforcing  the  conscript  acts,  and  for  all  other  purposes, 

8  except  as  hereinafter  provided,  shall  be  from  this  corps. 

1  Sec-  5.  That  all  persons  liable  to  duty   in   the  reserve   corps 

2  shall  enroll  themselves  within  such   time,  and   at   such   place  or 

3  places,    in    their    respective    counties    or    parishes    as    may   be 

4  prescribed  by  the  President,  and  that,  upon  failure  to  do  so,  the 

5  person  so  failing  shall  be  conscribed  to  the  army  in  the  field. 

1  Skc    C.     That  the   organization  of  the  reserve  corps  shall   be 

2  the  same  as  that  provided   by  existing    laws  for  the  army  in  the 

3  field,  and    shall   consist  of  infantry  of  the    line,  light    infantry, 

4  riflemen  and  mounted  iincmcji,  in     uch   proportions   as   may   be 

5  prescribed  by   the   President,  and  the   several  companies,  when 

6  formed,  shall  elect  their  own  officers,  and  be  organized,  under  the 

7  direction  of  the   President,  into  battalions,  regiments,   brigades, 

8  and    divisions,    as    the  case  may    be,    and    the    officers    thereto 

9  appointed  as  now  provided  by  law. 

1  Skc.  7.   That  any    existing    organizations  composed    of   non- 

2  conscripts,  m:iy,  in  the  discretion  of  the  President,  be  received 

3  into  the  service,  and  form  a  p;u*t  of  the  reserve  corps. 


3 

1  Sec.    8.    That    the    officers,    non-commissioned     officers    and 

2  privates,  belonging  to  the  said  reserve  corps,   shall  be  entitled, 

3  whilst  in  actual  service,  but  not  otherwise,  to  the  same  pay  and 

4  allowances  now  provided  by  law  for  the  army  in  the  field,  under 

5  such  regulations  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

1  Sec.  n.   That  no  person  shall  be  relieved  from  the  operation  of 

2  this  law    by  reason  of  having    been   heretofore  discharged  from 

3  the  army,  where  no  disability   now    exists,  nor   shall   those   who 

4  have  furnished  substitutes  be   any  longer   exempted   by   reason 

5  thereof:     Providedy    That   those   who  have  paid   into   the   public 

6  treas\iry     the    amount    specified    by    the    act    in    relation     to 

7  exemptions,  approved  11th  October,  1862,  and  who  may  be  held 

8  to    service    under  this  act,  shall    be  repaid  a  fair    proportion   of 

9  the  amount  so  paid  by  them,  under  rules  to  be  prescribed  by  the 
10  Secretary  of  War. 

1  Sec.  H>,     That  all    lawa  granting   exemptions  from    military 

2  service  be,  and  the  same  are  hereby,  repealed,  and  that  hereafter 

3  none  shall  be  exempt,  except  the  following: 

1  I.  All  who  shall  be  held  to  be  unfit  for  military  service,  under 

2  rules  to  be  prescribed  by  the  Secretary  of  War. 

3  il.  All  officers  of  the  Confederate  and  State  Governmcuts  Avho 

4  are     now     exempted     by    acts    of    Congress,    or   of    the    State 

5  Legislatures. 

6  HI.   Ministers  of  religion,  superintendents  of  asylums,  of  the 


4 

7  <leaf,  dumb,   and   blind,  and   of  the   insane  ;   one    editor  of  each 

8  newspaper,  and  the  employees  in  newspaper  establishments,  «ind 

0  physicians  and  apothecarieg  as  now   provided  by  law.  and  upon 

10  the  terms  and  conditions,  and  in  the  manner  provided  by  the  act 

11  in  relation  to  exemptions,  approved  11th  October,  1SG2. 

1  Sec.  1 1 .   That  the  President  be^  and  he  is  hereby,  authorized 

2  to  grant  details  under  general  rules  and  regulations  to  be  issued 

3  from  the  Wnr  Department,  either  from  the  reserve    or  from  the 

4  army  in  the  field,  of  skilled  avtizvas  and   workmert  to  produce 

5  munitions  of  war  or  other  material  necessary  in  carrying  on  the 
G  war;  and   in   all  other  cases,   where,  in   his  judj;ment,  justice, 

7  equity,  and  necessity,  requires  that  he  should  make  such  details, 

8  and  he  may  revoke  such  order  of  details  whenever  he  may  think 

9  proper. 

1  Sec  13.  That  nothing  herein  contained  shall  be  construed  to 

2  repeal  any  part  of  the  act  entitled  an  act  to  provide  further  for 

3  the  public  defence,"   approved    16th   April,    1862,  or  of  the  act 

4  amcndatoi-y  tlicreto^  approved    37th    September,  1862,   except  as 
.5  herein  expressly  provided  for. 


